Ex-Patriot Rob Gronkowski says ‘it’s a no’ on making NFL return

“Obviously when I retired I retired for a reason, because I needed to step away. So it would be a no,” the former Patriots star tight end said Tuesday on the WEEI Sports Radio Network while answering a caller who asked for a definitive answer whether he would return.

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“It would be a no. There it is.”

The three-time Super Bowl champion has fielded plenty of questions since his retirement after New England’s 13-3 win over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII in February about whether his nine-year career was truly over. His answers had left open the possibility he might return.

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Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed just last week that the 30-year-old had not actually put in his retirement papers during an appearance on the NFL Network’s pregame show.

But all the speculation, Gronkowski explained Tuesday, has been just that: speculation.

Rob Gronkowski says 'it's a no' on returning to the Patriots. (Matt Rourke/AP)

“I never say no because I said no and everyone was like ‘yeah, he’s kidding.’ It’s a no,” Gronkowski said. “In my mind that’s how it is. It’s a no. I say I keep it open because even when I do say no people are like ‘yeah right, he’s kidding.’ They always spin it. But in my mind it’s a no. There you go.”

He had, however, repeated the same line Tuesday that he had every other time he’s been asked about a possible return.

“The love has been shown, for sure ... It was never really about that. But like I said I would have to be feeling it, mentally and physically,” Gronkowski said. “It would need to be 10 days or a couple weeks of me just feeling it, like I need to go play football again. I don’t know how I would describe it. That’s what I’m trying to say. I’m enjoying myself right now. I don’t have that itch. If I had that itch I would go back."